Head of Retail Internal Quality Controls (US)
About The Position
The Head of Retail Internal Quality Controls leads the Retail Distribution Internal Quality Controls function for the U.S. retail network. The role establishes and oversees the control environment across financial centers to help ensure operations are safe, compliant, efficient, and well controlled. It develops and executes the network internal controls strategy, strengthens risk management, reduces operational losses and fraud exposure, and advances sustainable regulatory compliance. The role partners with Retail Distribution, Compliance, Risk Management, and Audit to identify, assess, monitor, and remediate control gaps, while fostering accountability and risk awareness across the branch network. It provides independent challenge, governance, and oversight in support of business objectives and protection of the Bank, its clients, and its reputation. The position provides people-management leadership, including hiring, goal-setting, staff development, performance and compensation decisions, teamwork, and disciplinary actions as required. It leads the internal controls framework across approximately 1,100 locations, establishes branch control standards and governance routines, oversees control effectiveness and remediation, and serves as the primary owner of branch audit issues and remediation. It also owns review of high-risk transactions and efforts to eliminate fraud. The role requires an undergraduate degree or equivalent work experience, with a bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline preferred. An advanced degree and relevant professional certifications are assets. Candidates should have at least 12 years of progressive relevant experience and at least 7 years of leadership experience.
Requirements
- Undergraduate degree or equivalent work experience required.
- 12+ years of progressive experience in banking, operational risk management, internal controls, compliance, audit, retail banking operations, or related financial services disciplines.
- 7+ years of leadership experience managing teams and enterprise-scale control, risk, compliance, or operational excellence programs.
- Extensive knowledge of retail banking operations, branch processes, fraud prevention controls, regulatory requirements, and risk management frameworks.
- Demonstrated experience designing, implementing, and governing internal control frameworks across geographically dispersed operations.
- Proven success identifying and remediating control weaknesses, audit findings, regulatory issues, and operational risks.
- Experience partnering with internal audit, compliance, legal, enterprise risk, and business leaders to drive sustainable control outcomes.
- Strong understanding of operational risk principles, issue management, root cause analysis, governance, and remediation practices.
- Experience establishing key risk indicators, control testing methodologies, and control performance reporting.
- Demonstrated ability to influence executive stakeholders, provide effective challenge, and drive accountability without direct authority.
- Strong analytical, problem-solving, communication, and executive presentation skills.
- Proficiency with risk, controls, governance, and reporting tools used in financial services environments.
Nice To Haves
- Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Finance, Accounting, Risk Management, Economics, or a related field.
- Advanced degree such as an MBA or a master's degree in Finance, Risk Management, or a related discipline.
- Professional certifications such as CRCM, CAMS, CISA, CIA, CRMA, or another risk-, compliance-, audit-, or control-related designation.
Responsibilities
- Lead and oversee the internal controls framework across the retail center network.
- Develop and implement a branch internal controls strategy aligned with enterprise risk appetite.
- Establish branch control standards, policies, procedures, risk taxonomy, and governance routines.
- Oversee control effectiveness across locations, identify risks, and ensure remediation.
- Identify, assess, monitor, and mitigate risks across locations and monitored areas.
- Ensure financial centers adhere to regulations, policies, standards, and procedures.
- Own the review of high-risk transactions and efforts to eliminate fraud.
- Serve as the primary owner of branch audit issues and remediation.
- Escalate control matters and work toward effective resolution.
- Provide independent challenge and oversight to bank management while partnering with Retail Distribution, Compliance, Audit, and Risk partners.
- Prevent operational losses, reduce fraud risk, strengthen regulatory compliance, and foster a strong control culture across approximately 1,100 locations.
- Hire and develop staff, set goals, manage performance and compensation decisions, promote teamwork, and handle disciplinary actions as required.
Benefits
- Health and well-being benefits
- Savings and retirement programs
- Paid time off, including Vacation PTO, Flex PTO, and Holiday PTO
- Banking benefits and discounts
- Career development
- Reward and recognition
- Variable compensation and incentive awards, potentially including cash and/or equity incentive awards
- Training programs and access to an online learning platform and mentoring programs
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Director
